Clothes-line



J. S. WAILES.

(ModeL) CLOTHES LINE.

Patented Ju1y3, 1888. 14.

Parana FFICEO,

JOSIAH S. W'AILES, OF FLORENCE, KANSAS.

CLOTHES-LINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,686, dated July 3, 1888.

lModel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josmrr S. \VAILEs, of Florence, in the county of Marion and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes Lines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the acompanying drawings,which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in clothes-lines, which is an improvement upon patent granted to me November 17, 1885, No. 330,646; and it consists in the arrangement and combination of devices, which will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a clothes-line which will enable a person either to run clothes out to be dried or to be taken in without going out of doors by providing a box having a shaft carrying two spools and a means for causing either spool to revolve with the shaft, as may be dcsircd, whereby two lines may be used, one being run out, while the other is being at the same time taken in.

Figure l is a perspective of a clothes-line embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the cover of the clothes-line box removed. Fig. 3isa detached perspective of the spools and operating-shaft, which are placed in the box. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective of the tightencr. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective of the slide.

A represents a post, which is placed at any desired distance from the house and stayed by means of the wire B.

G is a post, which is preferably placed adjacent to a porch, or the porchpost may be used in its stead, and to which is secured the clothes line box D. Secured to the post A, ata suitable distance apart, are the guide wheels or sheaves E, and secured to the post (i is the sheave F and the operating-wheel G. Passing around the sheaves E and F, as shown, and one or more times around the operating-wheel G, is the clothes-line H. The ends of the line H are connected together by means of the clasp I, secured to one end, and the connectingpiece J, fastened to its opposite end, one end of the piece J being provided with a wheel. K, around which the line passes. Each end of the line is provided with a hook, and the clasp and connecting-piecedareeach provided with a link at one end, by means of which they are detachably connected thereto.

Made in one end of the clasp I is the slot L,

and secured to one side of the clasp is the spring M, which extends over the slot and to or a little beyond the end of the clasp, which is beveled slightly, so as to enable the ready insertion of the line.

A supporting-wire,N, has one end connected to the post A by passing through a staple, and its opposite end is passed through a hole in the post (3 and secured to the tightener O, by means of which the wire is tightened when required. means of suitable insulators P is the groundwire Q, which has its upper end secured to the wire N and its lower end passed into the ground. This ground-wire is provided forthe purpose of carrying off any electricity which may be collected or attracted during a storm by the wire N into the earth, and thus prevent any damage being caused thereby. As the post 0 will be a post of the porch or the post being placed very near the house, a wire to carry .olf electricity from the Wire N is quite necessary to insure the house against damage by lightning during a storm.

For the purpose of supporting the clothes-- line and preventing it from sagging, the can riage R is provided, which is supported by the wire N. This carriage R consists ofa U shaped piece havingits upper ends provided with the grooved wheels S, which run upon the wire N, and has connected to its lower end the wire T, and this wire T has its lower end formed into a hook, which catches under the clothesline. One or more carriages will be used, according to the length of the line, as shown in the patent granted to me November 17, 1885.

The carriage R is supported upon the upper portion of the clothesline, and hence does not relieve the line of any of its weight or strain. Nhere a wire, N, is used, as here shown, for

Secured to the side of the post 0 by supporting the carriage, the line is relieved of I c the weight of the carriage and of all strain brought upon it by the weight of the clothes.

IOv

Secured to the post G is the box D, which is provided with a shaft, 'V, at or near its center, and placed upon this shaft are the two spools W X. The shaft V is provided near its cen ter with the pin Y and the spools with the grooves Z, with which the pin Y engages.

Formed in the outer end of the shaft V are the two grooves A A',wit-h which the slide B, secured to the outside of the box D, engages, and holds it securely in an outward or inward position. The slide B is provided with a screw, a, by means of which it can be locked.

By the horizontal movement of the shaft V through the box and spools the pin Y is made to engage either one of the spools, as desired. Each spool is provided with a hook, O, for the attachment of the ends of the line, and the spool W with the springs D, which bear against the spool X for the purpose of causing friction and preventing the idle-spool from turning too freely. There will always be one line upon one of the spools in the box. so that it may be attached to one end of the line which is out, and the opposite end of the outside line connected to the empty spool, the pin Y made to engage the empty spool, and thus one line be run out while the other is being taken in by turning the handle E, the springs D serving to prevent the idle spool from allowing the line to pass out too freely. Vhen the line is out, as shown in Fig. 1, it may be moved back and forth by means of the operating-wheel G, which has one end of its shaft made square, so th ata wrench or handle may be applied thereto.

The wire-tightener 0 consists of ashaft provided with a hole through which the wire passes, the angular flanges G, a square end, H, the frame I, which is rigidly secured to the post, and the wedge J, which is placed between the tightener and its frame. By means of this construction the wire may be tightened at any time by removing the wedge and turning the tighteuer, the wedge securely holding the tightener from revolving when again replaced.

Secured to the front of the box D is the small box K, in which clothes-pins may be kept,and thus be convenient for the operator.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination,withaclothes-line capable of being moved back and forth, ofabox provided with a shaft having a pin, and two spools placed upon the shaft having grooves which engage the pin upon the shaft, the shaft having an endwise movementthrough the box and spools, whereby the pin is made to engage either spool, substantially as shown.

2. The combination, with a clothes line capable of being moved back and forth, of a box provided with a shaft having two annular grooves and a pin, two spools placed upon the shaft inside of the box, and provided with grooves for engaging the pin upon the shaft, t-hcshaft having an endwise movementt'h rough the box and spools, and a slide secured to the box for engaging the grooves in the shaft, and thereby looking it in either position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a clothes line capable of being moved back and forth, of abox having a shaft provided with apin, two spools placed upon the shaft, and having grooves with which the pin engages, the ends of the line being secured, respectively, to the two spools. and one of the spools having springs to cause friction for the purpose described, and the shaft having an endwise movement through the box and spools for the purpose set forth, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSIAH S. \VAILES. \Vitnesses:

JOHN S. DOWNES, AMos L. WHITLOOK. 

